Protests mount at GSK development plans
Historic England and Kew Gardens object to the height of seven towers on the GSK site which will damage local sites. One proposed tower is 110 metres
Historic England and Kew Gardens have written to Hounslow Council to object to the proposals to develop the former site of GlaxoSmithkline’s headquarters on the Great West Road.
The two organisations say they are in favour of development and the provision of housing but say that the height of the towers would damage views from Kew Gardens, Syon Park and Boston Manor Park.
Hadley Group’s plans for the 1,522 home development include seven towers. The tallest is 110 metres, the second tallest is 85 metres and the remaining five would be more than 50 metres.
The existing GSK tower is 71 metres tall, while the nearby Mille building is 46 metres. Further east, the Kew Eye building is 93 metres high.
Developers of the Brentford Works project, a plan for 856 homes on the site of the Sega office on the Great West Road, were forced to reduce the size of towers in the face of protests from Kew and Historic England. The tallest tower at Brentford Works is 75 metres.
Read more: Historic England and Richmond Council unite to thwart new Brentford towers
In its letter, Kew Gardens states: “The proposed scheme conflicts with adopted and emerging local policy on tall buildings, as well as local, regional and national policy on the conservation of heritage assets and protection of World Heritage Sites.”
It points out that the development will be visible in protected views from and within Kew Gardens, including the Great Lawn, the Orangery and Syon Vista.
Kew also points out the the GSK proposals contradict Hounslow’s local plans which supports, “tall buildings along sections of the A4 Golden Mile frontage, this is as long as they ‘do not have a significant adverse impact on the setting of, or views from heritage assets including Gunnersbury Park, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew World Heritage Site, Syon Park and Osterley Park.’”
Historic England notes that the existing GSK tower damage views from Syon Park. “The proposals would notably increase the visual impact, further drawing the eye away from the listed building on the approach to the conservatory, and disrupt the presently unaffected view from the fountain. The proposed buildings would detract from the symmetrical composition and the conservatory as the focal point, causing harm to its significance. The use of different coloured cladding materials across the different blocks could compound this harmful impact,” it states in its letter.
Syon Park has planted trees to block views of the existing tower but it could takes decades for the trees to grow high enough.
Historic England concludes: “The application proposals would cause harm to heritage assets of the highest significance. Your authority will need to give this harm great weight in determining the application.”
Hounslow’s planning committee approved the application by ten votes to one but the scheme will also require the approval of the Mayor of London. Individual buildings will also require future planning approval.
